In a Split Second
by Kristen3
Summary: While on her way to pick David up from school, Daphne gets into an accident that reminds her just how lucky she is. One-shot. Birthday gift for Aria (crazysockmonkeys). Rating is for slight language.


**Author's Note:** I wasn't sure what to do for Aria ( **crazysockmonkeys** )'s birthday, until I saw something on TV that gave me this idea. I made it a lot less intense than I had originally planned on, just because I love romantic fluff! :)

"Bloody hell," Daphne muttered, looking at her watch. She'd been so busy straightening up the house, she hadn't noticed the time. If she didn't leave right now, she wouldn't be able to pick David up from school. Quickly, she grabbed her purse and keys, heading for the door.

Traffic was less than cooperative, making her even more anxious. After what felt like years of stop-and-go, Daphne finally arrived at David's elementary school. Suddenly, she recalled that she'd agreed to meet Roz for coffee after dropping her son off at home. It was now clear that she would be late. She put her foot on the brake, since she was now in the school parking lot. Then she reached over, searching desperately in her purse for her phone. She found it, and began anxiously typing a text to her girlfriend.

 _I'm gonna be late for coffee. Just picking David up now_ , she typed. She hit Send, praying Roz wouldn't be too angry when she got the message. But Roz was a fellow mom, and she knew all too well that things sometimes got in the way of one's plans.

When Daphne returned her attention to her surroundings, she was horrified by what she saw. For her foot must've slipped off the brake, causing her to roll straight into a tree! Fortunately, she'd been going too slowly to do much damage, but still, the front of the car was clearly dented. _Niles is going to kill me_ , she thought. Her husband took a great deal of pride in his possessions, especially the family's two luxury cars.

She sat there, frantically wondering what she should do. Call Niles, and explain the situation? Or would he take it better face-to-face?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice. "Mom, what happened?"

Daphne turned, surprised to see her son standing there. "I had an accident. I took me eyes off the road for a _second_ , I swear. I just wanted to text Roz, and then..."

To her surprise, David reached through the open window, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's OK. You're not injured, right?"

Daphne shook her head. She'd been too shocked to even consider that. But she knew she wasn't hurt. "But your father's going to be so angry. How could I have been so irresponsible?"

David walked around the vehicle, getting in the passenger's side. "Don't panic. Let's just go home, and we can figure out what to do from there."

Before Daphne could put the car into reverse, her cellphone rang. "Daphne, what's taking so long? I got your text, and I figured you'd be here in a couple minutes. Where the hell are you?!"

"I'm sorry, Roz, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel our coffee. I just had an accident."

"Oh, my God. Are you OK?" Roz suddenly felt guilty for being angry with her friend.

"I think so. I just hit a tree as I was texting you. But I have no idea how I'm going to tell Niles."

"I wouldn't be too worried. A car is just a thing; I'm sure Niles understands that."

"I'm not so sure. You know how much he loves our cars!"

"Yeah, he does get a little crazy about stuff sometimes," Roz admitted. She knew that Niles, although clueless about auto mechanics, loved the fact that he and Daphne both drove expensive cars. "But seriously, Daphne, I don't think it'll be as bad as you think."

"I hope you're right," Daphne said, sounding unconvinced. "I better get David home now. I'll call you later and tell you all the horrible details."

"OK. Good luck, I guess."

Daphne thanked her friend and ended the call. She turned to her son, who was patiently waiting with his seat belt on. "Now, when your father gets home, I want to talk to him alone, all right?"

"Sure, Mom. I'll stay out of your way."

Suddenly touched by her son's maturity, Daphne put a hand on his cheek. David was such a wonderful boy. She and Niles were definitely blessed. She then turned her focus on the task at hand. She carefully maneuvered them out of the parking lot and back out onto the road. The drive home wasn't easy, as she felt that every turn would lead to yet another accident.

Fortunately, they made it home in one piece. Daphne's nerves increased as they walked into their building and up to their apartment.

When they'd arrived at home, David saw the worried look on his mother's face. "Don't worry, Mom. It'll be OK." He unexpectedly hugged her.

Once again, Daphne was beyond grateful for this boy. Just like his father, he was always quick to offer a kind word to anyone who might need it. "Thank you," she whispered as she held him.

"I'm gonna go start on my homework," David said, finally ending the embrace.

Daphne nodded. She tried her best to calm down enough so that she could start making dinner. She knew that, no matter what had happened today, the three of them would still need to eat.

She made her way into the kitchen, grateful that she could simply reheat leftovers from last night. She was about to put them into the microwave when she heard the door open.

"Daphne, my love?"

Even as nervous as she was, the sound of Niles' voice still made her heart flip. She made her way out into the living room, trying her best to stay calm. "Hello, darling." She greeted him with a kiss, as she always did. The simple gesture reminded her that, no matter what, she and Niles were still in love.

"Well, I'm very glad to see you," Niles said when the kiss ended. "But what on earth happened to your car? There's a huge dent in the front of it. I noticed it as I was parking just now."

Daphne looked at the ground. "I did a stupid thing today. I was running late when I went to fetch David at school, and I remembered that Roz and I had planned to meet for coffee. Me foot was on the brake, I swear it was! I was already in the lot at David's school, so I took out me phone to text Roz and let her know I'd be late. I still don't know how it happened, but I somehow rolled right into a tree! I'm so sorry!"

Niles hugged her tightly for a long moment. "Shh," he whispered, as he could feel her shaking. "The car can be fixed. The important thing is that you're OK. If it had been worse...if you'd been hurt...I don't know what I would've done."

Daphne lifted her head from his shoulder, surprised. The accident had been her fault, but yet Niles didn't care about that. He wasn't blaming her at all.

"Daphne, after all these years, how can you doubt that I care about you far more than anything else?"

"I don't know," Daphne admitted. "I guess I was just so embarrassed. Texting while driving is a stupid thing to do, and now I see why it's illegal."

"Well, we've all done things that seem harmless at the time, when we're not thinking. No one is perfect. But perhaps this was a good reminder. Things can happen in a split second. Look at Dad. One minute, he's walking into a convenience store, the next, his career is over. It's easy to forget how lucky we all are."

Daphne nodded. Between housework, looking after Martin, and raising a young son, life could often be hectic. Her to-do list seemed never-ending at times. But even with all of the stress, she knew she could never be ungrateful for all that she had. Especially Niles, who had loved her unconditionally from the start. She kissed him once again, longer this time. She was definitely lucky, and not just because she wasn't hurt. Life itself was a miracle, one that she'd never take for granted again.

 **The End**


End file.
